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Vepco Seeks Permit For $18,000,000 Dam Near Here
THE ROANOKE RAPIDS
ft
VOLUME XXXIV ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1948 NUMBER 2
• Budding Permits Near Three Million Dollar
Mark For First Eight Months Of This Year
August rermits
*> Show Decrease
In Residences
Signs or a boom in residence
and business construction in
Roanoke Rapids for the year
showed no signs of abating dur
ing the months of July and Au
gust, with the aggregate total
issued through the end of August
showing guilding permits are shy
«|) of the three-million-dollar mark
by only $88,740.
Total building permits issued
prior to September 1 of this year
amount to $2,911,260 of which re
sidence building accounted for
$259,350 and commercial and
other construction amounted to
$2,651,910.
The eight-month total for 1948
showed that this year has seen
over five times as much con
e struction according to permits
issued as was done in 1947 and
nearly five times as much as the
1946 figure. In 1946 the first pent
up surge of postwar building in
the city ran the total to $627,005
during the first eight months of
the year and last year the fig
ure was almost equalled, when
$557,200 worth of permits were
issued through August.
With four months remaining in
0 the present year it is expected
' •' that the city will go well over
the thre*-piiHion. mark by the
year’s end if there is no severe
drop in proposed construction.
During July of this year per
mits totalling $40,900 were issued
for residence building, with $60,
850 listed for other construction.
In August residence building
permits slipped drastically to
only $2,050 and other permits to
talled $21,500.
*J Residence permits issued dur
ing July were the following: J.
E. McGee, residence on Monroe
street, $25,000; Mrs. Florence
Jenkins, addition to a home on
Jefferson street, $500; E. D. Wil
liams, residence on Cedar street,
$7,000; G. S. Wood, residence on
Cedar street, $8,000; W. L.
Moody, repairs to residence on
Jefferson street, $400. Other per
mits included the following dur
• ing July: Roanoke Mills Com
pany, dye house on Jackson
street, $60,000; T. B. Glover,
stable at 105 Jackson street,
$650; C. W. Hawthorne, shop on
Henson street, $200.
The following residence build
ing permits were issued by the
city during August: Mrs. Alfred
Moore, residence on Birdsong
street, $1,500; J. B. Battofi, ser
vants’ quarters at 726 Monroe
•4 street, $550. August permits for
other buildings were x e follow
ing: A. P. Dickens, garage on
Tenth street, $15,000; Douglas
E. Keeter, garage "at 810 Roa
noke avenue, $500; Sam T.
Brown, store building at Ele
venth and Hamilton streets, $6,
nnn
Pig Is Born
r With Elephant
Like Snoot
A “what is it” put in an ap
pearance on the farm of Willie
Doughton, Negro, of route one
Roanoke Rapids last Saturday
morning, when Doughton’s sow
farrowed a litter of only two
pigs, one of which looked not
unlike an elephant.
The young pig at .birth had a
long nose resembling the trunk
of an elephant, though apparent
ly the long snout was not very
practical since the unique animal
died about ten minutes after
birth.
The other pig in the litter
was perfectly normal and at last
report was apparently thriving
in spite of the fate of his ele
phant-like brother.
* -
A Grad After 44 Years
TAHLEUAH, Okla. (U.P.l
Dora Early Tucker, Claremore,
will receive a backelor’s degree
from Northeastern State College
here this summer. It is 4 4
years since she first enrolled
in the institution when it was
the Cherokee Female Seminary.
Mrs. Tucker went bact to school
in 1944 to finish work on her
4 degree.
.2...___—_....__
C. S. Thompson of Roanoke Rapids was elected to the
board of directors of the North Carolina Concrete Masonry
Association at the annual meeting held last week at the Ocean
Terrace Hotel in Wrightsville Beach. The new members of the
board of directors seated left to right and the home town and
district which they represent are: G. S. Sinnicks, Charlotte
(Central); C. S. Thompson. Roanoke Rapids, (Eastern); G. D.
Owen, Durham (Central); standing: L. W. Stallings, Winston
Salem, (Western); R. C. Derby, Rocky Mount (Eastern). Absent
when the picture was taken was A. S. Johnson, Salisbury
(Wegiern). * _
Jaycees Sponsor Showing
Of Hell Drivers Sunday
At Chockoyotte Grounds
The Hell Drivers, well-known
band o£ automobile daredevils,
will present their two-hour
show of death-defying stunts at
the Chockoyotte Fair Grounds
here at 2:00 p. m, next Sun
day under the sponsorship of
the Roanoke Rapids Junior
Chamber of Commerce.
Johnny Hand, who recently
rejoined the act after injuries
received in Knoxville, Tennes
see, when an accelerator jam
med on a high jump, will head
the six-man troupe. In addi
tion to the male members of
the act, Miss Betty Dean, one
of the few women stunt driv
ers in the country, will be fea
tured.
The 15-act bill, according to
Bruce McMinnix, business man
ager of the show, will include
ramp jumps, broad and high
jumps, Roman races, precision
driving, fire crashes and hur
dles. Climax act of the after
noon is an end-over-end roll of
a stock model coach at appro
ximately 60 miles per hour.
Members of the Junior Cham
ber of Commerce, sponsoring or
ganization for the show, said
they hope to see a large crowd
on hand for the thrill show Sun
day afternoon.
Boger Resigns
As Pastor Of
Church Of God
The Rev. Floyd A. Boger, pas
tor of the Church of God here,
has resigned to accept the pas
torate of the Chuch of God in
Fayetteville and to be District
Overseer of the Fayetteville Dis
trict.
The Rev. C. S. Gogan will be
the new pastor of the local
Church of Good and will preach
his first service next Sunday at
11 a. m.
Family Likes Jail,
Sheriff Says No
POMEROY, O. —Sheriff Ra
lph Welker refused to let Mr.
and Mrs. John Bowen and their
son, Bob, stay in jail.
He insisted they leave when
they had served out a fine of
$10 and costs for intoxication.
Mrs. Bowen explained that
they wante t stay behind bars
“at least fi another week” be
cause they were living on a $54
monthly pension, "we are broke
and there was no, food in the
bouse.
*
Catfish Get Drinks
On Uncle Samuel
ST. LOUIS (U.P.)—The gov
eminent played host 1o Old
Man River and the Mississippi
catfish here when federal cus
toms agents spiked the muddy
water with rtfcm.
Between 9,(J00 and 10,000 gal
lons of rum were poured intc
the river. It was shipped here
from the Virginia Islands dur
ing the war but went unclaim
ed because of the heavy im
port tax.
After failing to dispose of the
130 to 150 proof rum at an auc
tion, Collector James R. Wade
ordered the 225 parries of rum
poured into the river because
it had been costing the govern
mpnt warehouse fees.
Jim Meyer Is Most Valuable
Jim ineyer, wnose neny Dai
and timely fielding have pro
vided much of the power of the
Roanoke Rapids Jays during
the 1948 baseball season, was
voted as the “Most Valuable
Player” on the Jays squad in
a poll conducted by the Tar
Heel Sports Shop.
Announcement of the choice
of the big leftfielder was made
at the season’s final game
nere inonaay nigni, ana racy
er acknowledged the vote by
taking a bow to a big ovation
set up by the fans.
Meyer was chosen in the bal
loting during which nearly 1,
000 votes were cast by inter
ested fans. He will be awarded
a trophy, a pair of shoes and
the glove of his choice by the
firm which sponsored the bal
loting on the player of the sea
son.
Lions Still Seeking Talent
For Festival September 23
Roanoke Rapids Lions Club
members this weeek reported
that so far there have been a
number of entries received from
surrounding territory for the
Lions Club’s Festival here on
Thursday, September 23, but said
they still want talent from Roa
noke Rapids itself.
The emphasized that they are
. looking for local talent of any
sort of their Festival, and said
that anyone may enter the ta
lent show, whether they include
instrumentalists, singers, hog
callers, dancers, impersonators oi
anything else that is of enter
tainment value.
Thk Talent Night is open tc
any and all of those who have
any sort of talent they want to
display at the show to be held
in the high school athletic field,
where a stage will be erected and
a public announcing system will
be installed. There will be a
piano on the stage, but other in
struments played by entrants will
have to be provided by the con
testants themselves.
Prizes will be awarded to each
winner in the contests and will
be awarded on the basis of ap
plause from the audience. Mack
Outland will interview each con
testant.
The talent night committee
is holding auditions for the con
testants. If yc*i have a talent and
want to enter the Lions Club
Festival Talent Night write to
the Lions Club Talent Night, P.
O., Box 146, Roanoke Rapids.
Use the entry blank printed on
page four of today’s issue of the
Herald. The deadline for entries
is Sentember 11.
Dog Stays Faithful
To Faithless Master
AVERY, Neb. (U.P.)—Another
of the countless tales of a dog’s
loyalty to his master is being
enacted near this small Nebras
ka town south of Omaha.
In this case the dog’s loyalty
seems misplaced. He is faithful
to a faithess master.
Every evening about 5 p. m.
the yellow and white dog sits
waiting at the edge of the high
way. watching cars speed past.
Whfch a car slow.* down or »»«.ops,
as some of the hundreds pass
ing occasionally do, the dog
perks up his ears and wags his
tail in anticipation.
When the passerby' dismounts,
the ears droop and the dog re
treats into the corn field.
The story behind the dog’s
wait was told by a nearby resi
dent, T. A. Neal.
Neal said several weeks ago
a car stopped where the dog
now keeps his vigil. The car
door opened and the dog bound
ed out. A man followed, placed
some food on the ground, then
hurried away.
Ever since the dog has wait
ed for his owner’s return. The
deserted animal spends most of
his time within 300 feet of the
spot, leaving occasionally to
hunt for food.
Neal and other neighbors toss
out scraps for him but none
have been able to approach him.
Neal would like to adopt the
dog but he can’t get near.
The dog just keeps sitting by
the side of the road, watching
the cars roll by and waiting pat
ientlv.
Beer And Wine Voted Out In
Northampton By Three To One
Jackson. — Dry forces in
Northampton County won a
smashing one-sided victory in a
beer-wine sale election conduct
ed last Wednesday throughout
the county, as some 3,300 voters
turned out to vote almost three
to one to outlaw the sale of both
beer and wine in the county.
Official returns in the election
were canvassed on Thursday at
a meeting of the Board of Elec
tions in Jackson. W. H. S. Burg
wyn,. Jr., of Woodland, Elections
Board chairman reported that
the total vote was 2.385 to 911
against beer and 2,419 to 889
against wine.
Only three precincts, East
Gaston, West Gaston and Rich
Square, returned a vote favor
ing the continuation of beer and
wine sales, and the wine issue
in Rich Square ended in a 150
150 deadlock.
All Northampton County voters
who were eligible to vote in the
recent Democratic primaries and
all who registered during the Au
gust registration period were eli
gible to vote in Wednesday’s re
ferendum.
By the action of the voters
Wednesday the sale of beer and
wine will be abolished as soon
as machinery for the abolition is
officially set in motion.
The election issues were hotly
♦
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
OFFICIAL VOTE ON BEER-WINE SALE
BEER WINE
PRECINCT For 'Against For Against
Severn -.15 108 16 108
Milwaukee _11 155 10 157
Conway _-_91 252 87 258
South Kirby .. —15 135 11 137
Pendleton _26 74 26 74
Lasker . 10 208 10 208
West Roanoke _11 56 11 57
East Roanoke _6 99 4 100
Woodland .-.64 219 52 232
Rich Square -154 143 150 150
Jackson _ 121 166 119 167
Seaboard ___«._83 211 82 210
S. Wiccacanee —L-19 158 19 158
N. Wiccacanee _12 216 12 219
Occoneechee -*48 63 47 64
Pleasant Hill --a.19 48 20 49
East Gaston _172 68 179 65
West Gaston _34 6 34 6
TOTALS _911 2.385 889 2.419
disputed and bitterly fought be
tween the wet and dry forces in
Northampton County, however
the action indicated a trend
among the North Carolina coun
ties in voting out beer and wine
sales, Northampton County be
ing the 18th county in the state
to outlaw the sales in special
elections already held this year.
An electronic instrument de
signed for quality control on pro
duction lines can sort and test
as many as 1,500 small metal
parts in an hour.
< ins Home vanisnes
TACOMA, Wash. ( U. P. )—
Harry Pitcher spent a year in
a local hospital. When he re
turned home, there wasn’t any
home. Pitcher told officers that
down the house for the lumber
or simply carted the small stuff
off. “There wasn’t a trace of
it," he said.
Smile, Bless You
BOSTON ( U. P. )This sign
was noted in front of a down
town church: “Look Pleasant,
Please. The World’s Looking
at You.”
Warren Tobacco Market
Opening Day Prices Top
Those In Middle Belt
WARRENTON.—Sales on the
Warrenton market Thursday for
the opening of the Middle Belt
tobacco markets led the entire
belt with an average of $58.87
per hundred for 149,660 pounds of
tobacco sold.
Edgar R. Wood, sales super
visor on the Warrenton market,
released the owning day figures,
saying that the total sales were
$88,110.69 for Thursday. Opening
day this year averaged $10.53
more than the 1947 opening at
which 233,466 pounds were sold
for an average of $48.34.
. Quality on the first Warrenton
sale ranged from medium to
good, was light and no ticket
was reported turned.
Poundage sold on the markets
in the belt was generally lower
due to reduced acreage allot
ments and the fact that open
ing day was two weeks earlier
this year than the 1947 opening. I
In comparison with sales on the j
Border and Eastern Belts on the |
same day, the prices brought
a much higher average, with $54
per hundred being the general
opening day averages on the
nine markets comprising the
Middle Belt.
In addition to sales at Warren
ton markets were opened at
Louisburg, Oxford, Henderson,
Durham, Sanford, Carthage, Ab
erdeen and Fuquay-Varina.
| In Warrenton most of the farm
ers seemed well pleased with
the prices brought by their of
fering, however most of the dis
cussion among growers was con
cerned with the high cost of
production and the reduction of
acreage. Many farmers seemed to
feel that acreage increases should
go to the smaller producers.
Some comments made by War
ren County tobacco growers are
the following:
F. B. Lynch, 67, of Six-Pound
Township in Warren County, who
has raised 18 children, 12 of
them girls, and says “I can't be
gin to count all my grandchil
dren,” said the proposed in
crease would be enough for
some and not enough for oth
ers.” He raises seven acres of
tobacco now, but has been an ad
vocate of diversified farming.
“I’ve never bought a bushel of
oats, a bale of hay or a sack of
meal,” said Lynch. “All these
items have come from my farm.”
M. T. Abbott, who maintains
54 acres of farmland in the Af
ton section of Warren County,
said he thought five per cent
would be too much of an in
crease.
If the ac sage stays the same
prices should stay like they are
now,” said Abbott. “I could grow
more tobacco, but I’d rather not
if it would hurt the prices.”
Thinks Increase Needed
M. E. Wilson, 70, of Warrenton
Star Route, who said he raised
40 crops of tobacco on his 40
acre farm and then turned the
farm over to two of his six
sons, said the acreage should be
increased at least five per cent,
but that the increase should go
ot farmers with two or three
acres.
“The cost of living and pro
duction has gone sky high,” said
Wilson. “This cuts down the
spending power of all farmers,
but it’s the little fellow that is
most.”
___
r irst Bale
1948 Cotton
Ginned Here
Mrs. Pearl Love of route one
Roanoke Rapids qualified for
free ginning of a 530-pound bale
of cotton, the first one ginned
of the 1948 crop, Monday at
the Rosemary Gin Company.
In keeping with a long-estab
lished custom the gin provided
free service on the first bale
of the season brought for gin
ning.
The bale, graded as strict low
middling, was 1 1-16 inch staple,
and sold for 33 cents a pound to
Marvin D. White and Company,
Littleton cotton buyer.
State Beer Tax
Totals $553,108
During August
Raleigh,—Beer taxes collected
by the State during August to
taled $553,108, the State Depart
ment of Revenue reported today.
August collections sent State
beer tax receipts for the first
eight months of the year to $3,
674,751. Half of the State re
ceipts will go to counties and
municipalities in which beer is
licensed to be sold.
The figures do not include lo
cal and Federal taxes levied on
beer dealers.
Negro Mother
And Children
Burn To Death
Warrenton, — Fire that de
stroyed a tenant house on a
tobacco farm near here Thurs
day night claimed the lives oi
a Negro mother and two chil
dren.
Rebecca Davis and a six-year
old daughter, whose name was
not available, died in the flames.
A stepchild, Rebecca Rose, whc
jumped from the house, died
about midnight in Parkview
Hospital at Rocky Mount. An
other stepdaughter is in the
hospital with bums that are not
regarded as serious. A stepson
escaped injury.
Authorities were unable to
determine the cause of the blaze.
The house was located on the W.
R. Riggan farm.
Richmond Davis, husband
and father of the victims, was
in Warrenton to sell tobacco
when the blaze occurred about
9 o’clock Thursday night.
Funeral services for the vic
tims were held Sunday after
noon at Greenwood Church, near
here.
Parking Meters
Gross $1,023
During August
Total “take” from the Roanoke
Rapids parking meters during
the month of August was $1,
023.29, according to figures re
leased this week by City Clerk
Mrs. Dorothy Shearin.
The August total was just
about average for the summer
months, Mrs. Shearin explained,
saying that summertime receipts
are expected to fall below those
later in the year when business
houses open six days a week
instead of observing Wednesday
afternoon closings.
The meters, which have beer
in operation since March, have
proved to be quite satisfactory
as a solution of the parking pro
blem in the business districts
in toAvn.
GOP Senatorial
Candidate Will
Speak To Lions
John A. Wilkinson of Wash
ington, N. C., Republican candi
date for the U. S. Senate in the
November general election, will
be a guest speaker at the meet
ing of the Roanoke Rapids Lions
Club here next Tuesday evening,
September 14, at 6:30.
Annoucement of Wilkinson’s
visit to Roanoke Rapids was
made this week by Ottis Rey
nolds, local attorney and chair
man of the Halifax County Re
publican executive committee.
Reynolds said Wilkinson will
make a speech of a “non-poli
tical nature” on the history of
Civil Rights at the Lions Club
meeting, following which he will
make a paid political broadcast
from radio station WCBT at
nine o’clock the same evening.
Reynolds said Wilkinson’s visit
to Roanoke Rapids will precede
his appearance at the Republi
can rally for Eastern North
Carolina to be held in Rocky
Mount on September 16.
Former Local
Boy Is Now
In Boy’s Town
Boys Town, Nebaska.—One ol
the newest residents of Father
Flanagan’s Boys’ Home here is
Roland Hubert Sutton, Jr., a for
mer resident of Roanoke Rapids,
N. C.
His trip to the famous Boys
Town was made possible by the
Roanoke Rapids Community
Chest fund and the efforts ol
some of his friends.
In spite of the many applica
tions for admission from boys
from all parts of the country,
Hubert was chosen to enter the
boys’ home by the superintend
ent, Father Edmond C. Wa'sh,
because of outstanding traits oi
personality.
No Rest After All
STEPHENVILLE, Tex. (U.P.i
—F. A. Ray feared his retire
so he invented a rust-proof awn
ment might make him go stale
ing for windows, doors and pa
t'os. Demand has resulted in
production going beyond the av
ocation stage and nearing voca
tion proportions. Ray is thinking
of expanding his hobby into a
25-employe firm.
wonsTrucTion
Would Begin
During 1949
Richmond. — President J. O.
Holtzclaw of the Virginia Elec
tric and Power Company an
nounced last Friday that his
firm will make application to
the Federal Power Commission
for authority to build an $18
million dam and hydroelectric
plant on the Roanoke River
about one and one-half miles up
stream from Roanke Rapids.
Such a dam as the one propos
j ed by the company would in
: crease the power company’s gen
erating output by approximately
60 per cent. It would form a re
servoir covering about eight
square miles and would turn out
1 about 65,000 kilowatts an hour
; Most of the land which would
I be flooded by the dam is al
ready owned by the company,
j If such a project is authoriz
I ed, Holtzclaw said construction
i of the dam will ^et underway
In a statement to The HER
ALD Tuesday morning of this
| week, J. G. Holtzclaw, presi
dent of the Virginia Electric
and Power Company, said the
company hopes to file its ap
plication for the proposed $18,
000,000 dam with the Federal
Power Commission within “the
next couple of weeks.”
He said the company Has al
ready retained the services of
Charles T. Main, Inc., and
Stone and Webster Engineer
ing Corporation, both Boston
firms, whom Holtzclaw charac
terized as some of the best hy
draulic engineering firms in
fhp rminfrv
The VEPCO president pre
dicted approval of the request,
however he said it may be
“several months’* before the
power company knows whether
or not the construction of the
huge power dam on the Roa
noke River near Roanoke Ra
pids will be authorized for con
struction.
early in 1949 and would be com
pleted by 1952. The dam propos
ed in the request will be 2,840
feet long with a gate-controlled
spillway to pass flood waters.
The proposed power station
would include k 10,500-horse
power turbines for part-time
use. They would be connected
through transformers to a power
substation on the south bank of
the river.
Holtzclaw said the 4,000-acre
reservior would be available for
fishing and boating and might
be developed as a recreational
area.
The site of the proposed dam
is about 42 miles below the
Buggs Island dam project now
under construction by Army
engineers.
Eric W. Rodgers, secretary of
the Roanoke River Flood Con
trol committee and the Roanoke
River Basin Association said that
if the VEPCO dam is approved
by the Power Commission it
will work in conjunction with
the Buces Island H am aHHinit
that the power company’s dam
would be in a position to take
advantage of the steady flow of
water from the Buggs Island
dam.
In Roanoke Rapids, the city
nearest to the proposed dam,
there was generally expressed
hope that the Federal Power
Commission would approve the
VEPCO request. People said that
the construction of the dam and
the availability of so much hy
dro-electric power in the area
should prove an incentive for
the development of more indus
try in the Roanoke Rapids area.
If the project is approved and
construction contracts are let, the
base of operations for construc
tion work will probably be in
Roanoke Rapids.
Money Counter
Installed For
City Offices
Something new has been add
ed at the Municipal Building,
and for the employees who have
to handle all that filthy old mo
ney it is a welcome addition.
Actually the new addition to
the City Clerk’s office is a mach
-ine that counts money—or at
least it counts the pennies and
nickles that people pay for the
privilege of parking. Other coins
are also counted on the new
coin counter which was install
ed last Friday, and it is esti
mated that the use of the mach
ine will save hours of tedious toil
for the employees in that office
and the Tax Collector’s office
A product of the Abbot Coin
Counter Co., the new machine is
similar to that used in banks and
in large corporations where
much coin-handling is involved.
The machine automatically bags
coins in prearranged stacks in
desired amounts with a flip of
the switch.
Mrs. Dorothy Sherain, City
Clerk, said she looks forward to
flipping the switch instead of
counting pennies by hand any -
more. S